COMMENT | I was having a chat with my neighbour yesterday and as usual, we were catching up on each other’s lives. We talked about work, about the family, and of course, how we were all coping so far in the pandemic.

Our conversation moved on to what we would all do when the Klang Valley moves on to Phase 2 and eventually Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

He mentioned that it’s scary to think we can move on to Phase 2 when the latest daily infection number is still so high and that loosening up of the community might not be a good idea.

I might have been a little unfair because I kind of cut him off and went on a little bit of a tirade. But we are close friends so I’m sure (or I hope!) he didn’t take offence.

Before I talk about my tirade, let me explain some context. My family consists of five people - myself, my wife, and three kids ranging from the ages of two to 10.

We have been under lockdown for a year and a half now. The two older kids haven’t been able to go to a physical school. The younger one hasn’t had the opportunity to have playdates with kids his age.

My wife and I have not been able to fully work in that same amount of time and income...